Now through May 9th, you can find some great deals on Britax car seats at Chit Chat Baby:

Britax Frontier on sale for $229.99
Britax CS on sale for $279.99
Britax Marathon on sale for $229.99
Britax Boulevard on sale for $259.99
Britax Diplomat on sale for $199.99

Our family recently expanded with the arrival of “baby brother.” We had three car seats already (an infant and two convertibles) but were looking for another seat since both of us would be driving the kids to or from daycare in a few months. This time around, I was searching for something that would last a while. Well, with the Graco Nautilus, I believe we found the last car seat we’ll ever need.

I picked it up at a great deal a few days ago from Target for $159 (originally $179). Installation was a snap (quite literally, it was a matter of snapping the headrest in place). It’s very well padded and the material on this particular style, “Reese,” is soft and plush. I would say the comfort level is definitely an improvement over the Fisher Price Safe Voyage seat and almost as comparable to the Britax Decathlon. The anchor and tether straps are very easy to use. The harness straps are easily adjustable and don’t twist easily. The headrest adjusts for taller kids, and the crotch strap has two adjustable positions.

We’re currently using it as a car seat with the built in harness strap, but once Pooky outgrows that we can take out the harness and use the seat belt, and the last stage would be to disassemble the other parts and use it as a booster. I’m thrilled she’ll be safe in this seat and we won’t need to buy another one. Pooky liked it immediately and couldn’t wait to sit in it. She was especially excited about having a built in cup holder and two open side bins that she could use to stash small toys.

The car seat is extremely heavy, so I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re needing to move it around a lot or take it with you through the airport. It comes in several different styles, including the “Matrix” style pictured above.

From May 10 to May 15, take 15% off your purchase before shipping and taxes at Yoyashop with coupon code: MOMMY.

Save big on items such as the Bloom Fresco High Chair or the ultra modern Bloom Coco Lounger.

In terms of features, the Manhattan Deluxe Jogging Stroller from Dreamer Design has just about everything you could ask for. It comes with 16-inch rear wheels and a 12-inch front wheel, which can either be locked (for stability while jogging) or allowed to swivel (for walking). This dual-setting, which many other jogging strollers lack, makes a huge difference for casual strolling; not having to lift up the front wheel to make a sharp turn gives baby a smoother ride. What’s doubly nice is that this setting is controlled via a switch in the handle bar. You don’t even need to bend over! We also love that the canopy can rest in multiple positions, very handy for blocking out the sun. It’s well-padded in the seating area, which is something Pooky insists on.

The stroller folds up compactly, so that we were able to fit it into our trunk easily without removing wheels, a major bonus. However, it doesn’t stand up on its own when folded, which makes it tougher to store. It has a one-step folding mechanism which, although it requires two hands, I found easy enough. It was a little tougher for May to fold, perhaps because of her height (she’s a shorty). The only other problem we had was that adjusting the harness straps was not an intuitive process and took us a while to figure out. The first couple of times we went out with this stroller, Pooky lost her patience with our fumbling and spent a good part of the stroll complaining.

Overall, we found that the positives far outweigh the negatives, especially once we figured out the straps. Go to the Dreamer Design website to get more in depth information on this and other jogging strollers. Price: $359.99 at Joggingstroller.com.

High chairs can be so boring. If you didn’t think that before, you definitely will when you take a look at this one of a kind handpainted high chair from the peepeyes Etsy shop. The rainbow colors and attention to details make this such a fun chair, and it’s sure to delight your child. Grab it quick, though, because this is the last high chair that’ll be offered through this shop. Price: $550 at the peepeyes Etsy shop.

In a crowded field of jogging strollers, how does one set oneself apart from the pack? By building in stereo speakers, that’s how. With this iPod-friendly feature, the Overland Limited Jogging Stroller from Jeep has seriously upped the cool factor. Aside from its big selling point, there’s a lot to like about this stroller. It has a large, accessible basket, an underrated feature that a lot of other strollers lack. It folds fairly easily and stands on its own when folded, which is handy for garage storage. Most importantly, it’s cushiony enough that Pooky enjoys riding in it. At $169.99 online, it’s got most of the others beat in the price category as well.

Of course, with affordability come a few sacrifices. In general, while this stroller offers a fairly smooth ride, it’s a bit awkward to handle because it feels bulkier. It’s heavier than we’d like and not compact enough to fit it into our fairly large trunk without first removing the wheels.

Ultimately, while you could spend more money for something lighter and more compact, you get a lot for your money with this stroller, including some pretty darn cool features. Check it out online at Kolcraft.com, where they have links to the various options for purchasing, online and off.

Out of all the jogging strollers we’ve tested out recently, this one’s our favorite. There are quite a few things we like about this jogging stroller (the Q-Series) from Baby Jogger. The first thing that comes to mind, though, is the quality of the material. It looks and feels sturdy and solid, but is light enough that either of us can easily lift it into the car trunk. It has, by far, the most thrillingly convenient one-step folding mechanism we’ve seen, allowing you to hold your baby with one hand while folding up with the other. It handles smoothly, with pneumatic 16″ tires that take bumps and curbs easily. We’ve tested it while walking and jogging on various surfaces including paved, gravel and bumpy dirt paths, and it handles all of it extremely well.

Here are some of our favorite features:

One-step folding
Sleek, simple design
Multi-position sun canopy that actually works!
Canopy sides can open up for extra ventilation
Wheels are easily removable
Comfortable, padded seating area
Smooth hand brakes
One-step folding (yes, it’s that great!)

In short, it has everything you’d expect from a great jogging stroller. This is the company that invented the jogging stroller, after all. Our only criticisms are minor: the storage basket could be a bit more accessible, and this was the only jogging stroller we received that didn’t come with a rain canopy (sold separately).

The thing we love most about it, though, is that Pooky loves to ride in it. She’s even been able to fall asleep in it while strolling over some pretty bumpy paths. We’ve had a tough time selling Pooky on strollers; she can always find something to complain about, from uncomfortable harness straps to not enough padding to a general, unspecified disdain. With this one, though, she’s happy as a clam every time. For that alone, it’s worth the price. Price: $250 at most online retailers.

It’s been raining here lately, but on Sunday, the sun came out and it was warm and beautiful. I felt like laying in a hammock all afternoon.

Instead, I helped Josh mow the weeds lawn.

Although we ended up deciding that Pooky was going to spend her first few months sleeping in the Arm’s Reach Co-Sleeper, I was quite impressed by the Amby Baby Motion Bed when I was researching our options. It’s essentially a hammock for your baby, and I’d read some great things about how helpful it can be for babies with reflux or colic symptoms.

The Amby Baby Bed is made to “swaddle” the baby and gently sway with the motion of the baby, both mimicking the womb environment. The adjustable incline is ideal for babies with reflux since it’s often recommended to elevate the sleeping area to alleviate the reflux symptoms. Price: $227.95

We didn’t realize it before baby was born, but our sleeping arrangement was everybody’s business. We received opinions, solicited or not, from just about everybody we talked to. Apparently, this single decision would determine the outcome of the rest of baby’s life. No pressure, though.

After giving it a lot of thought, we decided to use the Arm’s Reach Mini Co-Sleeper. It seemed like the best way to balance having baby near enough to make sure she’s still breathing at any given moment while keeping our bed to ourselves and not having to worry about rolling on her or covering her mouth with the blanket. For baby’s first six months, this worked out great.

We liked a lot about it, including:

• it’s compact enough to fit next to the bed without forcing us to rearrange the furniture in our bedroom
• the side facing the bed drops down so that the parent sleeping next to it can reach in easily
• it’s simple and elegant, without frilliness
• it’s sturdy
• it folds up easily for travel
• it has a higher weight limit (23 lbs.) than a typical bassinet (usually 15 lbs.)

Pooky has since graduated from her co-sleeper. First to her crib, then, when she decided she’d had enough of that, into bed with us. It’s crowded in there now. I sure do miss that co-sleeper.

The best price we found online for the Mini Co-Sleeper is $128.95 at Baby Bungalow – this includes Free shipping.

I see a lot of ultra modern options for baby accessories and gear these days – simple, sleek lines that serve as both a piece of art as well as functional baby item. Baby gear is often overdone with an emphasis on getting as many bells and whistles onto an item as possible which usually results in a bulky, overstimulated effect. For the most part, I enjoy the understated, modern look even though I might not be able to foot the bill for the item most of the time (art can get a little spendy).

This Maclaren high chair designed by Philippe Starck, however, looks a little scary to me. I’m not sure if I’d want to strap Pooky into something that looks like a modern (I’m not even sure if I should say it) electrocution chair. It’s like the padded walls of the solitary confinement quarters of a prison. Perhaps I’ve been exposed to too much television.

It’s definitely modern and artsy looking, but as they say, art is very subjective, and I’m just lacking art appreciation for this one. Price: On Sale for $200 at MyStrollers

We recently received a new stroller as a gift, and it’s amazing how much better this one is than the one we were using (Combi Cosmo). The Maclaren Quest Sport Stroller handles so smoothly, and it’s tall enough that Josh (who’s 6′) doesn’t have to hunch over to push it and I (5′2″) don’t have a problem with it either.

Pros:

Great colors (We have the charcoal/forest)
Good size storage area
Lightweight and narrow
Super easy to adjust the recline
Comes with a rain hood
Smooth steering
Simple (no bulky and unnecessary bells and whistles)

Cons:

Doesn’t stand upright when folded (I really miss this feature)
Hood doesn’t adjust enough to provide sun protection from all angles (seems to be common with most strollers)
5-point harness is very stiff and difficult to unclasp (should loosen up over time)

We have the 2006 model, and since the 2007 models will be out soon, you’ll find great markdowns on the 2006 models. Albee Baby has them marked down as low as $159.99 (regularly $199.00).

I remember thinking I wasn’t going to be one of those people who had a baby and then, all of a sudden, their house turned into baby central. I knew I was going to have baby stuff, but I insisted it wasn’t going to take over the house, and I certainly wasn’t going to be tripping over it all the time. I think we did pretty well the first few months, but the older she got and the more active and interactive she got, the more it became her house, and we (her parents) just happened to live in it with her. It was a gradual expansion, but I have to admit that every single room in our house now is Pooky’s room.

It seems appropriate, then, for me to think about baby stuff I definitely didn’t need. Well, I definitely didn’t need almost everything. It’s more appropriate to say these are items I didn’t find useful or care for very much.

1. Receiving Blankets – These are those thin, flannel-like, (usually square) blankets that are often sold in packages of four or so. Pooky wasn’t a big baby, and even so, receiving blankets were just too small to do anything with except to use as a burp rag or cloth to wipe off things (and cloth diapers are definitely better at this). We got so many receiving blankets, and they were very nice; I just wished they were bigger. What’s up with these 30×30 sizes, and then when they advertise them as being bigger than the usual receiving blanket size, it turns out they’re only a few inches bigger. Someone was smart enough to make us a couple of receiving blankets that were quite large but still thin enough not to be too bulky. We used these like mad those first couple months while the rest of the pile of blankies continued to be folded up nicely in the closet organizer.

2. Diaper Wipes Warmer – We didn’t get one of these, but I was seriously considering one just because . . . well . . . just because. I’m so glad we didn’t get one. It would’ve been another item taking up more space, and I hear terrible things about them (dries out the wipes, annoying, etc.). The thing about diaper wipes warmers is that you’re going to eventually not have one around when you’re wiping baby’s bum, so why not get baby used to doing without one.

3. Bouncer – Pooky was one of those babies who loved her swing but hated the bouncer. Did we really need both? Probably not. Even though she has only spent a few minutes in her bouncer, we’re still planning on keeping it around since it’s the Fisher Price Infant-To-Toddler Bouncer/Rocker, and she’ll probably enjoy it as a rocking chair when she’s a bit older.

4. Too Many Onesies – One of the things I kept hearing from other moms over and over again was to stock up on onesies. Well, I definitely stocked up on onesies. We had so many 0-3 month onesies that she didn’t even wear half of them before she outgrew them (and she was in 0-3 month clothing for about 3.5 months). I’m not sure what I was thinking, but it turned out all she really needed was about 5-7 onesies at a time that fit her since I did the laundry at least once a week.

5. Crib Bedding Sets – You know those crib sets with a sheet, skirt, blanket, and bumper that costs up to hundreds of dollars? They’re totally unnecessary because 1. for prevention of SIDS, you’re not supposed to use a bumper (we use a mesh bumper to avoid Pooky’s limbs getting stuck between the slats), 2. the blanket that comes with those sets are more for wall decoration than actual use (because babies aren’t supposed to sleep with blankets either), and 3. it’s much more cost effective to just buy the sheets that you like and maybe a bed skirt and then be done with it. That’s really all you need, and all that you’ll end up using. We made the mistake of purchasing a crib set and currently, we use the sheet and bed skirt, and the rest is in the closet.

Check back when Pooky turns 1 in a few months. I’ll post a list of my favorite baby items at that time.

The Flair High Chair from Boon is a modern and sleek piece of furniture for your baby. It comes with a waterproof pad that’s easily removable for cleaning, a compact tray, five-point harness system, and a sturdy pedestal base that glides smoothly under tables. The best feature is its pneumatic lift; just push on the orange button on the pedestal to adjust the height. Remove a few of the parts and use it as a child’s chair as your baby grows.

This high chair will be available in two models: Flair and Flair Elite. The main difference between them is that the Flair comes with a plastic base and the Flair Elite has a stainless steel base. Both will be available from Boon in Spring 2007.

First of all, I want to say that I’m not anti-strollers. I say this because I’ve noticed that in the parenting world, it’s automatically assumed that if you’re into babywearing, you’re anti-strollers, and vice versa.

I definitely enjoy babywearing because I find it convenient, versatile, and love having Pooky next to me. However, we do own a stroller and use it from time to time when it seems more convenient, Pooky doesn’t always want to be right next to me, and/or I don’t always want to have Pooky attached to me everywhere we go.

This special edition Balmoral Pram by Silver Cross is expensive. It reminds me of toy carriages for dolls. It has a steel body and comes with a chrome shopping tray and quilted pad. It’s definitely upscale and not something I would ever consider purchasing regardless of how much money I have. At $3,995 each, they better be capable of some mighty feats and possess magical powers. Oh, and by the way, it turns out there are doll prams available by the same company for “only” $995.

Okay, so, I’m not sure what to make of this. It’s called the Babykeeper and is basically a carrier type of contraption that you put your kid in and hang on the bathroom stall while you use the toilet. Maybe I’m just a naive first time mother who can’t appreciate how wonderful and useful such an invention is until Pooky is a little older and starts driving me crazy when I use a public restroom. I still don’t think I’d use one of these, though. I’m also a bit worried about people who go a bit overboard with this invention and begin hanging their kids in their doorways just to keep them out of the way. Maybe I’m overreacting.

Here’s the Babykeeper being sold at Mommysentials.
Here’s a blog post from a mom who thinks this is useful.
Here’s a blog post that has another take on it.